


Ink Spots

by melianthegreat



Category: The Grand Tour (TV) RPF, Top Gear (UK) RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Music, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 16:04:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14192655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melianthegreat/pseuds/melianthegreat
Summary: Searching for new music, Richard finds an old CD in James' collection.





	Ink Spots

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a fluff piece for once, and I love the music of the Ink Spots. There are lyrics from some of their songs.

"James..." Richard whined, almost desperately, "don't you have any music made since my birth?"

In the kitchen, James suppressed a chuckle. This had been a minor point of contention between them since they'd first met. As colleagues, they had bonded over Porsches, Ferraris, and especially motorbikes. As friends over their adventures, over their interests in science and engineering, and as fellow musicians. Now as lovers, they were learning new things. James had been shocked by Richard's iPod selection, which ran all over the map; after the North Pole trip, the crew of Team Dog told a wild tale of a game they played where their music playlists were revealed (a shocking number of adult, heterosexual men had at least one song by ABBA). So one night, as Richard slept, James had decided to sneak a look at Richard's iPod. And, sure enough, he found ABBA. Along with selections as varied as Albioni, Tom Waits, and Parliament Funkadelic. Granted Richard often listened to his iPod while running, so some of it may have just been for the rhythm. But not all of it, and hence James' surprise at this discovery.

"There are my AC/DC selections," James called out with a smirk. "Or could I interest you with some Prog Rock?" He knew Richard detested both. "I could try to find my Genesis CD, that's been since your birth." He barely suppressed a laugh as he heard Richard's quick, frantic No! from the living room. A shame, James thought, as Genesis had led to one of the most diabolical pranks he and Jeremy ever pulled on Richard, and conveniently at the worst moment. 

Just as James was thinking of suggesting Bach once again as background music for dinner, he heard Richard say, "Hey, what's this?" Richard walked into the kitchen with a CD in his hand. 

"Oh, forgot I had that," James replied. "That's the Ink Spots."

Richard looked suspicious. "Who or what are the Ink Spots?" he asked.

"An American group," James answered. "Not bad. But they're before your time. They're even before my time."

"Hard to believe," Richard snarked, arching an eyebrow. "Weren't you college roommates with Beethoven?"

James sighed, exasperated. "Hammond, how many times must I tell you? Beethoven was the Associate Headmaster. Leo Tolstoy was my roommate. He was starting to write War and Peace. And you think I'm a pedant." He checked the Shepherd's Pie in the oven. "Dinner's nearly ready. I can listen to Bach during dinner again, if you can't decide. Or maybe some Gustav Mahler. I just got a new recording of the Kindertotenlieder--"

Richard was confused by most classical music, but somewhere he'd heard what Mahler's Kindertotenlieder was really about, and faced with a piece of music for dead children or listening to Bach yet again, he said, "Let's try the Ink Spots.

The pie was excellent, as it usually was when James made it. The wine was a perfect compliment to the evening. James had only intended this as a supper with his love, not a real date night, but that was the way it was turning out. It was a Friday night, nothing was planned work-wise for the entire weekend, and Richard and James were simply enjoying the other's company. They cleaned up the kitchen together, storing the rest of the Shepherd's Pie for later. But Richard said nothing about the music. James had been around Richard long enough to know his responses. There was loud, incessant complaints with music he hated, followed by sullen silence. Music he liked would bring about rhythmic tapping of his fingrrs, almost as if he were trying to work out a bass line. And when there was no response, like tonight, it didn't really make an impression. But any disappointment was quickly erased at bedtime when the lights were turned out and they made love before falling asleep, sated.

James woke up alone the next morning., something he was accustomed to a few times a week. Richard had gone out running early, leaving him to make breakfast. But wait, today James can smell something and heard something very soft. James got up and after a quick trip to the loo, then started to make his way downstairs.

One step down he could hear the sound better--it was music. Something sort of jaunty but laid back at the same time. And he heard Richard singing along:

> I love coffee, I love tea. I love the java jive and it loves me. Coffee and tea and the java and me. A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup.

James grinned. The Ink Spots. This song at least made an impression. He heard more:

> I love java, sweet and hot. Whoops, Mr. Moto, I'm a coffee pot! Shoot me the pot now pour me a shot. A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup.

James suppressed a laugh. Better to let Hammond preserve some dignity.And it would be more fun to secretly record Hammond singing along with this rather silly song and blackmail him with it later.Threaten to let Jeremy hear it and James could write his own ticket.

But for now...best to not humiliate Richard by letting on he overheard. So he made a show of yawning and making enough noise coming down the stairs so Richard would know he was there.

"Good morning," Richard smiled at James as he plated eggs and sausages. 

"Morning, Hammond," James replied; he noticed there was no music, but said nothing. "You made breakfast for me?"

Richard smiled. "I got bored and hungry waiting for you to wake up."

"You got me nice and tired last night," James replied simply. "If you want me to get up and make breakfast for you, don't do that."

Richard chuckled. "In that case, I think I can make breakfast some mornings." He gave James a sweet kiss. "Coffee or tea?"

"Tea, please."

***

Both had several errands to run, so they were separated for much of the day. James had to work on his bike, while Richard....well, he had other plans.

When James finally walked into the house, face covered in grease, he found two plates and wine glasses sitting on the kitchen table. Richard was making a salad, and the scent of garlic bread was toasting in the oven. "What's all this?" he asked. "Special occasion?" Furiously James was running through birthdays, anniversaries, anything he could think of for Richard to go all out this way.

"Nope," Richard grinned at him. "I have some Spaghetti Bolognaise on the way. Gives you just enough time to catch a shower." 

"Well, this is sweet!" James beamed. "And a bit domestic of you, don't you think?"

"What, you think you shouldn't be treated?" Richard gave him a smile, full and warm, the kind of smile that made James fall hard for him in the first place, a smile rarely seen outside his closest circle of friends. "You should always be treated well." The way he said this made James realize he meant every single word, a feeling that was warm and soft inside and spread throughout his body. "Now, go clean yourself up."

The dinner was a simple thing, and yet it seemed to have a magical glow to it. Richard wasn't the sort who'd qualify as romantic, but James noted he planned the meal and made a salad. He even toasted some garlic bread, and considering how limited Richard is cooking-wise, James figured that was a seriously romantic gesture. And for no apparent reason like a birthday or special occasion.

As dinner wound down James noticed for the first time there was music playing softly in the background. "Rich, are you playing the Ink Spots?" he asked with a smile.

Richard listened for a moment. "Yeah," he smiled back. He began placing plates in the sink to wash.

James shrugged. "I didn't think that CD made any impression on you," he said.

Richard laughed slightly. "I really can't explain it," he replied. "This music is repetitive, and sappy, and kinda daft, and I absolutely love it. It reminds me of that godawful stripe on the Lambo Gallardo Balboni. That stripe is utterly, utterly stupid, and yet I have a certain goofy love for it. Like you."

James couldn't help it. He walked over to Richard and held his face in his large hands as he gently kissed him. The instrumental break in "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano" was playing. James simply held Richard close to him, something he rarely did outside the bedroom, and swayed back and forth to the music in a kind of dance. Richard never really danced, but this time he did.

The song ended, and both men were staring into the glowing eyes of the other. A moment passed between them, something that felt special. "Let me clean up the kitchen," Richard whispered. "And then I have a surprise for you upstairs."

The lights were turned off and the doors locked early. When James and Richard reached the bedroom, Richard placed his iPod in the dock and suddenly the Ink Spots were playing from the speakers. He walked over to James, draping his arms over the shoulers, and rocked gently with him, singing along:

> I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim, I just want to be the one you love. And with your admission that you feel the same, I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of. Believe me, I don't want to set the world on fire. I just want to start a flame in your heart.

"You already have, Hammond," James smiled at him. This was followed by a long, deep kiss Richard eagerly returned. Shirts were quickly removed and hands found denim-covered buttocks from both men, squeezing, pulling hips closer. James' lips softly outlined the side of Richard's neck, making him shiver. Richard removed James' belt and reached inside the open fly, stroking his lover with thin fingers as James groaned his appreciation. Then Richard went to his knees, hands roaming over the thighs, pulling the jeans down, exposing what Richard longed to taste. He took his time here, his tongue running s lazy path up and down, James carding his hands in Richard's hair, slowly losing his mind amid sweet torture. When those lips finally wrapped around him and sucked ever so tenderly, staring up at James with a look both hungry and yet emotional, wanting to physically express his love and devotion, it was all James could do to maintain any sort of control.

He lifted Richard off his knees and kissed him yet again, lowering him to the bed, exploring his lithe, fit body. James let his lips and tongue run free, wanting Richard to feel as turned on as he had been. Richard was a panting, moaning mess before James was satisfied. When James finally entered Richard, feeling the heat surrounding him, both knew this was where they both wanted to be. It was physical, and yet something more, a true expression of one to the other. They had been together as lovers for some time, but rarely had they used their bodies to achieve a true sense of intimacy. It was gentle and sweet, and yet intense and physical.

When both of them found their climax, neither a shouting, blinding affair but floating and ecstatic, holding them aloft seemingly for hours before letting them back down, when both had cleaned up and were content to simply lie in each other's arms, James noticed the Ink Spots were still playing on Richard's iPod. "Did you put that on replay, Hammond?" he asked.

"Not really," Richard answered. "Turns out there are plenty of Ink Spots compilations, so I downloaded all I could find."

James grinned. "And all from hearing the music last night? I'm impressed."

Richard smiled back. "Well, you got me to listen," he whispered. "I had to do something to show how much I love you." James said nothing, simply pulling Richard closer and kissing the top of his head.

Later that night, as Richard lay sleeping next to James, James continued to listen to the music. Until his favorite song from the group, and he sang the following lines to his lover, lines that he felt perfectly captured the way he felt:

> My prayer is to linger with you at the end of the day, in a dream that's divine. My prayer is a rapture in blue, with the world far away and your lips close to mine.

In his sleep, Richard smiled.

The Ink Spots music was something Richard and James kept between them, one of those things couples have together they share with each other and nobody else, because nobody else would understand.

And some mornings, Richard still thinks he sings "Java Jive" to himself. But James is waiting for the right moment to blackmail him. 

He's just biding his time.


End file.
